"Stop this!" Kylie felt her protective mode start to kick in, the familiar fizzy-like feeling moving through her body, but for the life of her, she didn't know where to apply the strength. Torn between two loyalties.
Derek's words rang in her head. Chameleons were her own kind. Her grandfather was blood. Yet Burnett and Derek were ... they were family, too.
Out of nowhere, another figure appeared, this one snatching her grandfather off Burnett in an extremely rough manner. Her grandfather managed to stay on his feet but swung at the newcomer.
Feeling forced into action, even before considering what she was doing, she moved in, grabbed the newest member of the fight by his T-shirt, and tossed him away from her grandfather. The helpless figure was about ten feet in the air and making his way down to the ground-fast-when his blue eyes found hers and Kylie realized who she'd tossed.
Lucas.
So he had come.
The memory of him kissing his fiancee flashed in her head and echoed painfully in her heart. And for a flicker of a second, she wished she'd tossed him twice as hard.
She turned away, barely managing to catch her breath, when her gaze found Derek, still struggling against the two chameleons who held him. "Let him go," she seethed to the men. She recognized them as part of her grandfather's group, but it didn't matter. She wouldn't let them hurt Derek.
Her words hadn't completely left her lips, when suddenly the guys who held Derek dropped to the ground like dead flies. Derek scowled down at their bodies and stood straighter, almost with a sense of pride that he'd accomplished something.
Seeing the lifeless bodies on the ground brought on a wave of panic. What had Derek done? She'd wanted them to release Derek, but she hadn't wanted them ... She remembered Derek's ability to mentally knock people out, but leave them basically unharmed. Or at least she hoped they were left unharmed.
Swinging back to her right, she refused to look at Lucas, but she heard him getting to his feet, and she felt him staring. Felt his gaze begging for just a glance. He could beg all he wanted; he wasn't getting it.
Yet less than two weeks ago, she would have given him her heart. Who was she kidding, she had given him her heart. That's why this was so hard.
Blinking, she refocused on her grandfather, who looked prepared to charge Burnett again.
Burnett, blood oozing from his lip, stood up. His expression and body language held ferocity; he was a man about to even the odds, but the one hand he held out suggested an attempt at peace. Thank God someone had sense, because with her broken heart replaying a painful song over and over in her head, she didn't think she was completely in control.
When her grandfather took another step forward, Burnett spoke up. "You and I have no fight between us. Stop this before someone gets hurt."Kylie, realizing she needed to react, rushed to her grandfather's side. "He's right," she said. "Stop, please!" She wrapped her hand around his arm. Heat filled her chest. The warmth traveled down her arm and into her fingers. Then she felt it flow from her touch into her grandfather. She instinctively knew that she had passed the emotion of calm to her grandfather. And it was obviously working, because he dropped his head down and breathed in as if to collect himself. Chin still lowered, he must have spotted the men Derek had caused to pass out, because he hurried to them.
"They're fine," Derek said, and stepped away from her grandfather as if he half feared the man might come at him. But the signs of aggression her grandfather had worn minutes earlier were gone.
Kylie recalled the calming touch she'd passed him. Had she instinctively transformed into fae? She had to have, hadn't she?
Lucas took a step closer, not that she gazed at him directly, but from her peripheral vision she noted his movements. She attempted to tap into some of the serene emotions that she'd just passed to her grandfather. But it didn't work. The pain of Lucas's betrayal rose in her heart, crowded her better judgment, and knotted in her throat.
Her grandfather spoke up. "Everyone leave but Kylie and Mr. James."
"So you can attack him again?" Lucas asked, his tone hard, angry. And yet she could swear she heard remorse in his tone, too. She imagined his expression, his eyes filled with shadows of regret, but she still didn't look at him.
"Do as he says," Burnett ordered. Kylie could tell that, like her, Burnett recognized that her grandfather had seen reason.
People started walking away. Kylie again sensed Lucas moving, but his footsteps faltered as he moved in behind her. His scent filled the air she breathed, and his whispered question reached her ears. "Do you hate me so much that you can't even look at me?"
If only she could hate him, Kylie thought.
Then he continued in a voice meant only for her. "I never cared about her. Only you." The sound of his footsteps moving away sounded like the last beats of a sad song.
Physically he had left, but his words hung on. They filled Kylie with wave after wave of emotion. She knew Lucas spoke the truth-knew because, still being fae, she felt his sentiments-felt them seep into her skin, slip into her heart, and swell to the point of pain. But knowing he spoke the truth didn't change anything.
Whether he'd intentionally set out to hurt her or not didn't alter the fact that he had. How could he not have known how devastated she would be to learn he'd promised himself to someone else? Could he not see how hurt she'd be, knowing that for the months they'd been together, he had been seeing this girl, and at least pretending to care about her?
Right then, someone else's footsteps moved behind her. She felt the light touch of fingertips brushing across her shoulder blades. A slow, soft touch, not meant to seduce, not meant to draw attention. Meant only to soothe.
The warm calm of the touch left little doubt of the person's identity. Derek.
The pain in her chest lessened and she blinked the beginnings of tears from her eyes.
Trying to gain control of her wayward emotions, she stood there, eyes closed, concentrating on the feel of sun on her skin and the breeze against her cheeks."Kylie?" Burnett's voice had her jerking open her eyes.
Her grandfather and Burnett stood in front of her. Concern darkened both of their eyes.
"You okay?" her grandfather asked.
"Great." She produced a smile, one that probably came with as little believability as had her one word.
"Then come," her grandfather said. "We need to talk. At the house and over tea."
As she moved in step beside them, she saw Burnett give her a quick glance and she knew he'd picked up on her untruth. She wasn't great. She wasn't even marginally okay. Then she saw something else in his gaze. Or had she read it in his emotions? Fear. Fear of disclosure, as if he worried she wasn't going to like what he had to say.
Little did he know, she didn't like much of anything being said lately. Then instantly, she realized she'd been thinking only of herself. Selfishly, she'd focused on only her own pain. There was a reason Burnett was here and it might not be just about her.
Coming to a sudden halt, she grabbed the vampire by the elbow. "Is everyone okay? What ... what happened?"
Five minutes later, Kylie sat at the dining room table and waited for her aunt to serve them iced tea before the conversation started. She just prayed it wouldn't lead to more of what had happened out by the barn.
The tension between Burnett and her grandfather was slowly building again. Kylie's, however, had already hit its peak. Someone had better start talking or she was going to lose it. And by someone, she meant Burnett.
He'd postponed answering her question until they got somewhere to ... talk. Which basically put Kylie on high alert that she'd been right. Something more than just Mario had happened. Someone wasn't okay.
On the walk to the house she'd gone crazy imagining the worst. Now sitting here, cold pizza centering the table, she fought back a sense of nausea as different versions of the worst threw darts at her heart. She knew Derek and Lucas were okay. And yeah, she shouldn't care about Lucas, but she still did.
Holiday had to be fine or Burnett wouldn't have been able to function. He loved her too much not to have been a physical mess if something had happened to her. That left ...
Her thoughts immediately went to her two closest friends-friends her grandfather had insisted she not speak with for a while. But because he'd relented on her conversations with Holiday, she had tried to accept it. Now ... if something had happened to them ... Oh, God! Without knowing the answer, tears stung Kylie's eyes.
Kylie's mind turned first to Della. The stubborn vamp was on a mission for the FRU. Had something gone bad? Was Della okay?
Kylie recalled telling Della she didn't like her working for the FRU, but when Della came right out and asked her if she wanted her to decline helping them, Kylie hadn't told her no. She had known how much Della had wanted to work for the agency.
But now ... if something had happened to Della, Kylie would forever regret her answer.
Worry chewed Kylie's patience down to a fine thread.
"Is it Della?" she finally bit out, as the glass of tea was set in front of her and her aunt left the room.
"Did something happen to her?"Burnett looked at her. "No, Della is fine ... as far as I know. She is still on the mission."
"Then who ... what happened?"
Burnett cupped the cold glass in his palm, but didn't sip from it. If it wasn't blood, he seldom drank anything except the strong coffee she'd seen him consume on some mornings. "After Mario was reported having been seen in Fallen, there was an incident. We aren't sure it's connected."
"Was anyone hurt?" The words stung as they left her lips, but somehow she knew with certainty someone hadn't walked away unscathed.
He turned the glass in his hands twice before answering. "Helen was attacked."
Kylie's breath caught. Helen, a half fae, was the shyest, most docile person at Shadow Falls. Who in the hell would hurt her? The answer bounced back like an unwanted echo. Mario.
"Is she ... okay?" The word alive lingered on her lips, but she feared saying it because, damn it, it would have hurt too much.
"Yes," he answered. "She's going to be fine. And we don't even know if any of this is connected."
"So it wasn't this Mario, seeking Kylie," her grandfather said.
She looked at her grandfather and then said the obvious. "Burnett wouldn't be here if he didn't suspect that."
Burnett begrudgingly nodded. "We suspect it." He glanced at Kylie. "But there is really no proof to substantiate it. She was attacked from behind. She can't remember what happened."
"How bad is she?" Kylie asked, praying Helen wouldn't have scars-emotional or physical.
"She's stronger than any of us thought." He hesitated. "Her injuries were serious, but not life threatening. As you can imagine, Jonathon isn't leaving her side. Her parents are there at the hospital and there have been some awkward moments. Apparently, Helen hasn't told them of her newfound love."
Kylie envisioned the tall, lanky, and pierced vampire holding Helen's hand while her parents looked on. "I can also imagine that he's beyond pissed and wants revenge."
"I see you know Jonathon very well." The slightest hint of a smile passed Burnett's lips. But the smile didn't linger. "We have guards at the hospital, just in case the attacker returns."
"Should I go there?" Kylie asked.
"No," Burnett and her grandfather said at the same time.
Burnett continued. "If it was Mario, this could have been his ploy to get you to go to the hospital."
The thought that she and she alone was the reason Helen had been attacked sent an achy feeling crowding into her chest. Then anger crawled in and found its own spot in the tight space. She was so damned tired of people suffering at Mario's hand because of her. But how could she stop it? That was the million-dollar question and one Kylie decided needed to be answered. And sooner rather than later.
Burnett sat up straighter and refocused on her grandfather. "It was after Helen's attack that I got worried about Kylie's safety. I figured if I could find you then I'm sure he can. I think Kylie would be safer back at the camp."
"And I don't agree," her grandfather said.
"You don't agree?" Burnett seethed out the question. "Mario has made it clear, he wants Kylie to either join his group of rogue chameleons or he plans to kill her. He's threatened by her power as a protector."
"Again, I know this," her grandfather insisted. "You are not the only one who Kylie confides in. But if this attack on the other girl was to draw Kylie out, then it means he doesn't know where she is.""But for how long?" Burnett asked. "Mario isn't one to let up."
"Perhaps, but if he's already found his way into the camp to get to this girl, why would you have me believe that he couldn't do it again to get to Kylie?"
"But-" Kylie spoke up, yet Burnett's direct glance at her seemed to ask for her to let him deal with this. She clamped her mouth shut, although it irked her to do it.
"I see your concerns," Burnett said. "However, the attack didn't take place on camp grounds." He gave the glass of tea another twirl in his hands and looked down at the amber-colored liquid as if debating whether to drink it. Then he raised his gaze. "Another factor to consider is that we have more bodies to help fight this rogue and his followers. And while I know the idea probably enrages you, I also have the FRU's assistance. With the office in Fallen, near the camp, I can have a hundred trained people there in a matter of minutes."
Her grandfather frowned. "You are right, it enrages me." He paused and Kylie saw him grinding his teeth before he spoke again. "I must tell you that the only reason I sit at the table with you is because my granddaughter holds you in such high regard. In the absence of her real father and the situation of her home life, you have in many ways stepped into the role of a father figure for her."
Burnett ran his finger over the condensation of his tea, almost as if uncomfortable at hearing how highly Kylie thought of him.
"I pray you deserve her respect." Her grandfather breathed in again. "That said, your logic here confuses me. You claim to be keeping my granddaughter from the FRU and yet you would call them to assist in protecting her. How is this feasible?"
"I'm assisting in preventing them from testing her simply because I'm not sure the tests are one hundred percent without risks. I believe their eagerness to find answers might prevent them from completely considering Kylie's best interest. But please don't take this to mean that I think they are capable of doing what they did to others in the past. The FRU isn't perfect, Mr. Summers, no organization is, or ever will be, but it's not the same organization that it was back then."
Silence filled the room. The tension hung thick in the air.
"Let me take Kylie back to Shadow Falls where I believe she is the safest," Burnett continued. "I will have guards waiting and watching for Mario to make his move. When he does, we will be ready. We will catch him and put a stop to this once and for all."
"And we can do the same," her grandfather added, his tone tight again.
Burnett's grimace deepened. "Look me in the eyes and tell me honestly that you believe you and your people are capable of handling this."
Her grandfather laced his fingers together-tight-and set his gripped hands on the table. Then he stared at his hands as if weighing Burnett's words.
When he raised his gaze, he met Kylie's eyes, and then returned his frown to Burnett. "I do not agree with your plan, nor your assessment of my or my people's ability to protect one of our own. Albeit I may be holding on to my prejudices of the past. Prejudices I am certain will be a part of me until I take my last breath."
He cleared his throat and let go of a sigh. "However, if my granddaughter has told me anything since she's been here, it's that she is her own person. So while I hope she will listen to my counsel on this, I'm aware that the decision will be hers. I have lost too much family in this life and I care too much about herto push her away by trying to hold on too tight."
Tears stung Kylie's eyes again. She reached over and touched her grandfather's hands. He turned his palm over and held her hand. His gaze found hers. "Stay here, Kylie. Stay and continue to learn who you are and where you belong." His touch, so much like that of her father's, sent warmth through her.
And a part of her wanted to give in. But at what cost?
